Are you looking to expand your WordPress blog‘s reach by tapping into Apple News‘ built-in audience of over 125 million monthly active users?
As an experienced WordPress webmaster, I‘m going to walk you through the full process of becoming an Apple News publisher. By following this comprehensive guide, you‘ll be able to share your WordPress content alongside top news sources like The New York Times, ESPN, and more.
Let‘s dive in! This guide covers:
- Apple News publisher requirements
- Submitting your application
- Automatically publishing WordPress posts
- Formatting your content
- Driving traffic and making money
- Tips and best practices
I‘ll provide plenty of details, examples, and pro tips along the way based on my 15 years of experience in WordPress. My goal is to provide everything you need to successfully integrate your blog with Apple News and start growing your readership.
Contents
Before You Get Started: Apple News Publisher Requirements
First things first – here are the key requirements to become an Apple News publisher:
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Location: Apple News is currently only available in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Publishers must be located in one of these countries.
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Apple ID: You‘ll need a valid Apple ID to sign up as a publisher. This is the same Apple ID used for iCloud, App Store purchases, etc.
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Website RSS Feed: Your WordPress site needs to have an RSS feed to send content to Apple News. Most themes include built-in RSS support.
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Original Content: Apple News emphasizes original reporting and stories. Your blog should focus on original content, not simply aggregating news from other sites.
Once approved, publishers can monetize their Apple News channels by displaying ads. You‘ll need to be accepted into the Apple News ad program separately after your channel is live.
This guide is tailored for self-hosted WordPress sites, not WordPress.com blogs. The set-up process differs slightly.
Now that you know the requirements, let‘s look at how to submit your application.
Step 1: Submitting Your Apple News Publisher Application
The publisher application process is straightforward and can be completed in under 10 minutes.
Here are the steps:
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Go to the Apple News Publisher website and click "Sign In" to sign in with your Apple ID.
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Read and accept the Apple News Publisher terms and conditions.
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Enter your contact information and details about your website. Apple will review this to ensure your content meets their publishing standards.
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Upload a logo for your Apple News channel in PNG format with a transparent background. It should clearly display your brand name.
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Select relevant category(ies) for your content from Apple‘s predefined list, like technology, sports, politics, etc.
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When prompted, make sure to select Apple News Format (ANF) – not RSS feed. This enables ads and analytics.
Once submitted, it can take 1-2 weeks for Apple to review and approve your application. Be patient during this process – it‘s typical for all new publishers.
You‘ll receive an email once your Apple News channel is approved. Then it‘s time to integrate with WordPress.
Step 2: Automatically Publishing Your WordPress Posts
Manually publishing articles to Apple News would be extremely tedious. Luckily, we can automate this process using the free Publish to Apple News plugin.
Here‘s how to set it up:
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Install and activate the Publish to Apple News plugin on your WordPress site. You can use my WordPress plugin installation guide if you need help with this.
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In your WordPress admin, go to Settings > Apple News and input your channel details:
- Apple News API Key
- API Secret
- Channel ID
You can find these under Account Settings when you log into the Apple News Publisher site.
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Select which post types you want to publish automatically, like blog posts, news articles, etc. Most sites will just enable regular posts.
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Customize formatting options like text size, font, colors, etc. Apple recommends using their default styles for a consistent experience.
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Click "Save Changes" at the bottom.
That‘s it! The plugin will now automatically convert your new WordPress posts into Apple News Format (ANF) and submit them to Apple News.
Here are a few pro tips:
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Manually submit featured posts first. Apple recommends hand-picking 1-2 great posts to submit manually before enabling automated publishing. Wait for approval before proceeding.
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Stick to a consistent publishing schedule, like 3-5x per week. This helps train the Apple News algorithm.
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Avoid publishing straight RSS feeds, as this limits analytics and monetization. Always use Apple News Format.
Now let‘s discuss how to format your content for maximum engagement and traffic.
Apple News Content Formatting Best Practices
Formatting your WordPress posts specifically for Apple News helps provide the best reading experience on mobile devices.
Here are my top Apple News formatting tips:
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Optimize headlines – Make them descriptive, attention-grabbing, and include keywords. Avoid clickbait or misleading headlines.
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Use active voice – Write directly and conversationally. Avoid passive voice.
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Add visuals – Photos, graphics, illustrations make posts more eye-catching. Ensure proper attribution.
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Break up text – Use subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs for quick mobile reading.
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Link to other posts – Cross-link related articles to keep readers engaged.
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Emphasize multimedia – Embed videos and podcast clips directly into posts when possible.
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Enhance social snippets – Customize excerpt text to showcase your best content.
Spend extra time formatting posts specifically for Apple News. Optimize your font styles, images, captions, etc. A polished presentation goes a long way.
Drive Traffic and Make Money with Apple News
Once your channel is approved, it‘s time to leverage Apple‘s huge built-in audience!
Here are 6 ways to drive traffic and revenue from Apple News:
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Post New Content Frequently – Publishing 3-5x per week keeps your channel active and trains the Apple News algorithm. Don‘t just repurpose old content.
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Analyze Performance – Use Apple News analytics to see which topics and posts resonate. Double down on what works.
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Get Social – Promote new articles on your social media channels to boost clicks.
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Run Ads – Monetize your content by participating in the Apple News ad program (US only).
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Curate Evergreen Content – Repurpose evergreen posts that provide value and build authority.
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Optimize for SEO – Quality Apple News content can also improve your site‘s SEO over time.
With a strategic approach, Apple News can become a significant long-term traffic and revenue source for your WordPress blog.
Final Tips for Apple News Publishing Success
Here are some final best practices I recommend based on my experience as a webmaster:
- Closely follow Apple‘s content guidelines – they enforce quality standards.
- Set up Google Analytics tracking to measure ROI.
- Show off your best content! Don‘t just publish lesser stories.
- Reply to all reader comments to build community.
- Avoid publishing same stories to your website and Apple simultaneously.
- Review Apple News analytics weekly and optimize accordingly.
I hope this guide provided everything you need to successfully add your WordPress blog to Apple News! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Now get out there and start sharing your latest posts with millions of new readers.
